When I Leave You
by EmberMountains
Summary: Things never settle down when you live your life around the Avengers, but Georgiana wouldn't have it any other way. And neither would anyone else. Sequel to "This Is Where We Start".
1. Tony

_Hello Everyone! This is the sequel to "This Is Where We Start" and it might be confusing reading this without having read that one. This story will have a bit of a plot but it will be made out of oneshots and the timeline will jump around. Feel free to leave any comments/ideas! I hope you all enjoy!_

 _Also, this story will have spoilers for Civil War and for comic things that I have a strong intuition will also take place in the movies._

 _(Spoiler alert right now: this_ _oneshot will contain references to a certain someone's death in the comics and to the news that a black woman will be replacing Tony as Iron Man one day.)_

 **Tony**

"I hope you know that this is a deep betrayal and that we can no longer be friends."

"Oh, please," Georgiana sighed, and rolled her eyes in a playful manner, as if they were simply bantering. "Don't you think you are being a little dramatic here, Tony?"

"I don't think I'm being dramatic at all," said Tony. "You are making a horrible decision."

Georgiana seemed to deflate, and she walked across the room to slump down into one of Tony's large leather armchairs and stare out the glass wall.

Tony felt himself calm down the longer she stared outside. He wondered where she was. Grumbling to himself, Tony walked towards the bar in his office and poured two drinks, and then made his way over to sit in the matching armchair that faced Georgiana. He placed the drinks on the small glass coffee table between them.

It was not often that Georgiana visited him at his tower, and when she did, it was usually because Pepper had blackmailed her into going shopping. The worst part was that Pepper didn't even allow Tony to tag along on those trips, instead telling him that Georgiana needed a break, not a public appearance with Tony Stark that would likely end up on the news. Georgiana had always liked her privacy a bit more than the rest of the Avengers. Except maybe Clint, and Bruce - who Tony had not seen in quite some time now.

Tony took a moment to gather his own thoughts as Georgiana stared quietly out the window. His office was on the one of the top floors of the tower, and had, in Tony's opinion, the best view in the world. Outside, the city seemed to shine in the light of the sun.

She looked tired, Tony noticed, and Georgiana never looked tired. Whether that be because of her rapid healing abilities or her natural happy and optimistic state.

"I miss you, kid," said Tony.

Georgiana finally turned away from the window and gave him a small smile. "I miss you, too."

Over the last year and a half, from when Tony had met Georgiana, their friendship had grown deep rather fast. Tony didn't often let people in, but there had just been something about Georgiana. She was empathetic instead of sympathetic.

"We never go on missions together anymore," Tony said. "And now you're telling me you don't want to renew your contract with the Avenger Accords? Not even for another year? I thought you liked being an Avenger?"

"We don't go on the same missions because you like to go in guns blazing and I prefer the stealthy approach. Also, aren't you supposed to be retiring yourself, after you finish training your little shadow?" said Georgiana. "And I do like being an Avenger-"

"Then keep being one."

Georgiana frowned and returned to looking out the window, as if retreating. Tony frowned, this was not his usual Georgiana Barton Barnes. The sunlight lit up the side of her round face, showing the freckles that went from one cheek to the other, and highlighting her shiny white hair. Tony took a slip of his drink, then placed it back down by Georgiana's untouched glass.

"Is it Barnes wanting you to stop?" Tony knew he was treading on thin ice now. "Because of what happened with Steve?"

"No." Georgiana's voice was quiet, she turned away from the window to look down at her lap. Her feet were tucked up underneath of her in the armchair. "No. I haven't told Bucky that I don't want to renew my contract, or anything. Although I'm sure he'll be happy about this decision."

James Buchanan Barnes would likely be very happy that his fiancée would be retiring as an Avenger. Barnes had never wanted to sign the Accords even after the Amendments had been written. Even after what had happen to Steve, and now that Barnes had taken up Steve's shield, the little twerp still hadn't signed the dang piece of paper. Perhaps Barnes was more like Steve than Tony had originally thought.

Tony took another sip of his drink, twirling it in his hand a moment before placing it back down.

"Come on, Georgy," Tony said. "You obviously have something on your chest. We're friends, just take your drink already and tell me what is going on that could possibly keep you from continuing doing what you love to do. Which, let me remind you, is helping people."

Georgiana gave him a hard look. Likely because he was being pushy. There, that was the Georgiana he knew. The short innocent looking girl who could secretly kick your ass.

There had to be a real reason that Georgiana didn't want to renew her contract with the Accords, and if it wasn't because of Barnes, than Tony had really no idea what was going on in that little white haired head of hers. As the Reviver, the public adored her. Mostly because she protected everyone with her force-shields and in the last year had personally healed half the public. Including Rhodey, and more than a few cancer kids.

Tony gestured towards her untouched drink. "Go on."

Georgiana shook her head, and gave him an expression that made him feel like he should be understanding something that he wasn't.

"I can't drink, Tony," Georgiana said.

"Oh come on," said Tony, standing up on and pacing towards the middle of his office. "Why the hell not? What is with you today?"

Georgiana smirked at him from her armchair. "I can't drink, Tony, because I'm pregnant."

Well, shit.


	2. Wanda

_Disclaimer: I do not own anything Marvel, the only thing mine is my OC._

 **Wanda**

Wanda had always liked Georgiana. Somedays she thought it was because of the healer's hair. It reminded her of Pietro. While Pietro had had blond hair, sometimes in the right light Wanda would think it looked a little white. Then one day Georgiana came into her life with the white hair and the abnormal abilities and Wanda could remember thinking "yep, she's in," and just like that little Georgiana had made it past Wanda's first wall.

There were many walls inside Wanda. She had started building them ever since her parents had died. Few people knew about their metaphorical existence because she was generally friendly, but they were always there, silently asking anyone who approached her to make the effort to climb them. Few people got to jump past them, and two of those people were Georgiana and Clint Barton.

Wanda had also noticed the close connection between Clint and Georgiana, and maybe that was another reason why Wanda had liked Georgiana from the beginning.

"What would you say?"

Georgiana sighed at Wanda's question, and Wanda smiled to herself. She knew she should be putting all of her concentration on their current recon mission, but to be honest she focused on missions better when bantering to her team. She had become used to hearing Sam, Steve, and Natasha through the earpieces when duty called.

"Wanda, he hasn't asked me, okay? Can we please drop this?"

Wanda sipped at her coffee, bringing her hand up to her sunglasses as she did so to subtly press a button on the side of the frames. The sunglasses clicked and took a picture.

It was Georgiana's first mission as an official Avenger, so naturally, it was the easiest thing in the world. The board of people behind the Accords were still trying to apologize to Georgiana -even though every single person who had worked in the Tool Department had long ago been dismissed, and those in the department who had known about Georgiana were now in jail – and their best form of apology seemed to be keeping her out of any large danger for as long as possible.

Wanda and Georgiana's only job was to sit outside a café and watch over the bank across the London street in. They were simply supposed to take pictures of their targets, identify them and their transportation, and then Sam and Steve would meet them on the road outside the city, where other people wouldn't get hurt.

The café was busy. It was a beautiful day, and Wanda couldn't help but think that more people were out than usual because it wasn't raining.

"That's why I'm asking what _would_ you say, if he did ask, hypothetically." Wanda took a moment to glance a few tables down to the one where Georgiana was sitting. While Wanda had gone for a grungy, don't talk to me look, Georgiana was wearing an orange sundress, flirty sunglasses, and a large smile to all the boys who passed her. Georgiana had actually asked if they could switch stereotypes for this mission, but Wanda had refused. Whenever she went on missions with Natasha, Natasha insisted that Wanda be the approachable one, so it was nice to be left alone now. Besides, Georgiana needed the practice, she was an awful flirt.

"He isn't going to ask me," Georgiana muttered through the earpiece, just moments before smiling at a young, sharp jawed man who greeted her with a good morning. Georgiana turned red at something he said. An awful flirt indeed, always blushing and embarrassed.

They weren't both supposed to act unapproachable on these recon missions because it would have seemed too obvious to their targets that they were being watched.

"Natasha said that the last time she was at your cabin she saw a small box stuffed in his socks," Wanda continued, the moment the young man left and Georgiana would be able to reply.

"Natasha was snooping in Bucky's sock drawer?"

"Then, she said she remembered Bucky and Steve disappeared a few weeks before, for a couple of hours. When she asked them where they had been they told her it was a secret mission, despite the fact that there was no mission on file later." Wanda took another sip of her coffee and another picture of their target.

"Please."

"Which means that it likely wasn't a mission at all."

"Drop."

"It was more likely that Steve, Bucky's obvious best man choice, was helping your boy pick out a ring."

"This."

"So what would you say if he asked you?"

" _Wanda_!"

Smiling into her cup, so that Georgiana wouldn't see if she looked over, Wanda took a picture of the plate number that had appeared twice now. The same car kept parking in front of the bank, going around the block, and then parking again.

"I mean; your last name is already Barnes. What would really change?"

"How are you and Vis?" Georgiana suddenly asked, her voice full of fake innocence.

"Don't try to change the subject on me. We are talking about you and your soon to be Fiancé."

Her and Vision were actually at the moment very well. He was slowly but surely taking the time to climb past every one of her walls. Which was scary but comforting at the same time. Like being in a warm hug but also afraid that you would suffocate from it.

"Because I heard that Natasha caught the two of you quite close the other night. The rumor might be that the two of you were more than, how did she describe it, _familiar_ with each other." Georgiana sounded like she was smiling. "But I thought that was a strange thing to hear. For surely you would have told me yourself if you and Vision had suddenly become more than just friends."

"Vision and I are just friends."

Which was partly true. The last thing Wanda felt like she needed was someone noticing her and Visions relationship, bring it up to Vis, and then have him change or halt the steady, consistent pace at which he was climbing her walls.

"What is being in a romantic relationship with Vis like? Is romantic the correct word? I don't really see him as a romantic sort of person. He would need a better understanding of metaphors, I think."

The car that obviously belong to their target went around the block and reappeared in front of the bank again. Wanda focused to get a picture of the driver, and then turned to point him out to Georgiana, but she was taking a picture of another car parked further down the street. Wanda recognized it, and blinked. Georgiana had caught on to the fact that their target was using multiple vehicles before her. She must have been a little too distracted once Vision had come into the subject. She needed to make sure Vision never became a distraction.

There, another wall.

"Because Bucky is so romantic." Wanda turned back towards the bank, Georgiana had the second car covered.

"Ha! You don't deny it! You and Vis are in sneaking around. Why would you keep that from me? I'm hurt."

"Yeah, you seem really upset right now." Wanda hoped the dry tone of her voice was clear through the earpiece.

"Wanda?"

She took a sip of the coffee. "Hm?"

"If he does ask, I would hypothetically say yes."

It took a moment for Wanda to release what Georgiana was referring to, and then she smiled widely behind her sunglasses. "I. Knew. It."

"Also, you have to remember that Bucky was born in the 1900s. He can be very romantic."

"Please don't give me any details."


	3. Rhodey

**Rhodey**

Press meetings were the worst. No matter how many he attended, or which uniform he wore, James Rhodes could never find a way to enjoy them. They didn't make him nervous, or tired, or uncomfortable, he had been to way too many for any of that nonsense, but they did still find a way to irritate him. He usually blamed the reporters, like the very pretty woman who now stood in front of him.

She quickly introduced herself as Riley Simson, and she was distractingly beautiful. Midnight black skin, cloud like dark hair that haloed around her face, large eyes and thick eyelashes. For a moment, Rhodey wanted to forget that she had a camera man shadowing behind her, and a microphone in her hand. Rhodey just knew that both the reporter and the camera man where going to be what irritated him tonight.

"So what can you tell me about the Reviver?" Her teeth where extra white on her dark skin.

As a natural reaction at hearing the name, Rhodey glanced over the thick crowd in the large stone hall to spot where Georgiana was standing next to Tony. There was a small open circle between them and the mass of people pointing microphones and cameras at them, and Tony seemed to be handing the crowd with ease.

Rhodey had slipped out of his War Machine suit before entering the formal hallway, but Tony was still in his Iron Man suit, although he had uncovered his face to talk to the reporters. Georgiana stood in her suit quietly behind him. Once she had become an Avenger, which had been almost a year ago, Tony had added a mask to her suit to cover her face and help her hide her identity. The mask covered her neck and jaw, and then split to run up the side of her face so that her nose and mouth were free, and then acted like a thick mask across her eyes. The band around her eyes was made just wide enough that it hid her freckles, which would have been a major part of identifying her in a crowd, but also showed her forehead. Besides the very white hair that she currently had in a multiple braids that ran into a ponytail, Rhodey would have found it hard to recognize her himself.

"Not much, I'm afraid. I'm not very close with her, myself," Rhodey said, turning back to the pretty reporter in front of him.

"Really? I thought you would be. She seems like one of Tony's friends, and you have been Tony's closest friend for quite a few years." Riley Simson smiled at him and batted her long eyelashes.

"Tony and I are close, but we don't live similar lives. That's why we are friends."

Riley laughed, and it sounded genuine, but Rhodey new reporters, and this one seemed desperate to find out anything on the newest Avenger. Georgiana never went to press conferences, but after her mission today with Tony and Rhodey, where she had been acting as a safety net between the public and Detroit Steel, she had been pushed into the stone hallway of the building without a chance to slip away.

"Surely you must know something about the Reviver, even without Tony's insider knowledge. The two of you work on the Avenger's team together." Riley leaned forward as she spoke, lowering her voice, as if they were old friends whispering together rather than a reporter fishing for gossip. Her perfume filled Rhodey's nose. God, she even smelled good.

"I spend more of my time with the military, Ms., and less time with the Avengers." Rhodey made a point to add the "Ms." Hoping that it would cause Riley to step back. But she ignored the formal title and instead took another half step towards him. Her camera man followed her.

"Of course, of course. But could you tell us how old she is? Where is she from? What is her natural hair color? Where do the powers come from? I just need one little detail." Riley's eyes gleamed with mischief. Man, she was cute. And distracting.

Rhodey went to take a step back from her, but found that he couldn't in the crowded room. It was funny, really. Tony and Rhodey had just taken down a major threat, and all everyone wanted to know about was the pretty and shy white girl who was standing beside Iron Man so that she could avoid answering questions.

"It's like I said, I'm not really the person to ask." Rhodey said, and then, likely because Riley was cute, he slipped and added, "But I'm positive her hair is naturally that white."

He knew that his voice had sounded inviting just then, and Riley's eyes lit up, as if she sensed that he thought she was pretty and could use it against him.

"Are you certain?" Riley asked, and reached behind her blindly. Her camera man shifted and gave her something out of his pocket. It was a small zip lock bag. "Because this very long piece of brown hair was pulled off of her suit just a few minutes ago."

Rhodey took the plastic bag with the hair sample from the reporter, as if to inspect it, and then stuffed it deep into his suit pocket. The last thing he needed was a bunch of media crazy people taking hair samples and then finding out everyone's secrete identity.

"I'm sure it was just stuck to her suit," said Rhodey, and a swelling of irritation started to grow in the pit of his stomach. "She interacted with half the population of the city today while Mr. Stark and I handled Detroit Steel."

It had not escaped Rhodey's notice that Riley seemed more focused on the Reviver then Detroit Steel, who had been wreaking havoc on the city.

"What if I told you one of the cameramen pulled it from her hair?" Riley asked, keeping her voice in her extra friendly manner, obviously trying to brush off his sudden coldness towards her.

"Then I would ask your cameramen if they make a habit of pulling people's hair," Rhodey replied.

Riley blinked, and in her moment of surprise, Rhodey made his escape. He pushed his way through the crowd until he was on the other side of the room, where he could now see the back of Georgiana and Tony's heads. He took the zip lock bag out of his pocket and took a closer look at it. He had thought it would be Bucky's hair that had somehow gotten stuck on Georgiana's suit, but it was too long to belong to Bucky.

Squinting, Rhodey studied the back of Georgiana's ponytail. It was her normal snow white color. He moved through the crowd to stand closer to her, placing the zip lock bag back into his pocket as he did so. The crowd started asking him questions again, but he raised his hands to shush them and moved into the small open space between the crowd and the other two Avengers. He wrapped at arm around Georgiana's shoulder, and she smiled uncertainly up at him, as if asking him what he was up to.

That's when he saw it, another single brown hair in her ponytail. He forced himself not to frown. Why would Georgiana's hair be turning brown? What would cause it to lose its very white state? He knew she had tried dying it once, and the dye hadn't worked. He had overheard Thor once say that all healers had white hair. So what had changed? She and Bucky had announced to the Avengers a week ago that she was pregnant, after many people had threaten to throw a fit if she didn't renew her contract with the Accords, but that seemed to be an odd reason for her hair to change color. It seemed more likely that something else was going on, and Rhodey was going to find out what it was.

He didn't know Georgiana very well, that was true. But she had healed his legs and his spine, and he owed her something. Even if it was just finding out why her hair was turning brown.


	4. Steve

_Hey guys! Thanks for all the support. This chapter actually connects to chapter 12 in "This Is Where We Start"._

 **Steve**

Clint shooed him away, stating that he had enough people babying him even though he was _fine_ and was planning to return home to his wife and kids soon. Chucking, Steve left him alone to wander away from the barn - that would act like a garage - that Tony and Peter were building. He slowly made his way back towards the cabin.

It was a charming little cabin. It stood on top of a hill, surrounded first by long grass and then a thick forest, and protected by snow peaked mountains on every side. It almost seemed unfair, that this cabin belonged to Clint, as did the farmhouse he currently lived in. Clint had, not one, but two, safe places to return to and sleep whenever he wanted, and places where he could keep his family secret and safe. Places where he could live a normal life, protecting the ones he loved, and surrounded by the ones who loved him.

That was something Steve could never have.

He hadn't even had that as a kid in Brooklyn. He had only ever had Bucky.

"Clint ready to take off?" Natasha asked, as Steve stepped up onto the front porch of the cabin.

"Of course," said Steve. "Guy doesn't slow down even after near death experiences."

Natasha shrugged. "None of us do. Besides, he is healthier now than ever, thanks to that little healer."

"Yeah," Steve agreed. The problem was that whenever Georgiana healed someone she was the one who then became injured. Steve wasn't convinced that method should ever be used as a first solution. It had been a day since Georgiana had healed Clint, and she was still passed out in the blue bedroom inside the cabin. Steve had set people on watch to sit beside her until she woke up, just in case.

"Who is with her now?" Steve asked.

Natasha grinned at him knowingly. "Who do you think?"

Steve sighed, nodded towards Natasha, and entered the cabin. The cabin, despite its small size, seemed open and cozy. Inside, Wanda and Vision were playing cards at the kitchen table. They didn't notice him come in. He knocked once on the door to the blue bedroom, and then entered. He closed it behind him, just in case anyone else came inside the cabin and it got too loud.

"Hey. Want me to take over watch?" Steve asked.

Bucky blinked up at him. He was sitting on top of Georgiana's bed, leaning on the headboard, notebook and pencil in hand. He looked relaxed, and that was something Steve hadn't seen in his friend for a long time. Next to Bucky, Georgiana was curled on her side, tucked underneath the quilt and blankets, still in her deep healing sleep.

"Nah. I'm good," Bucky said, but he seemed to sense that Steve wasn't done yet because he leaned over Georgiana's still form to put his notebook on the nightstand. As if putting it as far away from Steve as possible.

Steve understood the action. Bucky had started becoming more distant with him lately, and Steve's disapproval on Bucky's quick attachment to Georgiana probably hadn't helped the situation.

"Bucky, you need your rest, too." Steve said.

Bucky shifted as if to get closer to the headboard and crossed his arms over his chest. He still looked more relaxed that Steve was used to seeing, but it was an obvious defensive gesture.

"So what happened?" Steve asked. "While we were gone?"

"Nothing happened." There, that sounded defensive.

"Bucky, come on, I know how you get with girls." Steve sighed, and couldn't help but glance over to Georgiana's still and sleeping form.

Mostly, he knew he was trying to protect Bucky. Bucky was currently a mess, and he didn't need anything else complicated in his life. But he was also thinking about Georgiana. Georgiana was a sweet girl, and Bucky had once been known to play with sweet girls.

"How I used to be with girls," Bucky said, and Steve had no doubt that Bucky could read his thoughts from his expression. "I haven't been that version of myself for a long time."

Bucky's defenses were suddenly down. He sounded tried and broken. Steve entered further into the room and sat at the end of the bed. He knew he was fast to judge people, that was what usually kept him alive, but maybe he had judged this too fast and had made a mistake.

"You're right, I'm sorry." Steve said. "It's just, it isn't like you, to get attached. Especially so fast."

"She's just, she's just," Buck trailed off and looked down at his lap. "She is the toughest and gentlest person. Ever."

"Which is why moving fast with her is a problem." Steve said.

"The current me and her . . . we're almost similar." Bucky finally looked up, although he kept his head bowed.

"The current you?" Steve suddenly knew what was causing Bucky's distance. The Winter Soldier was a big name to have looming around.

"I'm not the same person I was when we were kids," Bucky said.

"I know that."

Bucky looked away again. "And I am never going to return to that person. I wish I could, but I can't. I did those things . . ."

How many times would this come up? How long would it take for Bucky to believe him?

"Those things weren't your fault. You didn't have a choice. That wasn't you." Steve shook his head. "And I'm not expecting you to change back into who we were as kids. What do you take me for? Jerk."

There was no going back, anyway. Not even for Steve.

"Punk." Bucky looked up again and actually almost smiled.

Steve stood up and clapped a hand on Bucky's shoulder. "I'm with you till the end of the line."

The very end.


	5. Sharon

_Thanks again for all of the support. I'm really enjoying writing this and I hope you are enjoying it too!_

 _Chapter Alert! This chapter contains a comic book spoiler of a certain character's death, I'm not sure if this character will die in the movies or not, but I having a feeling that he/she will._

 **Sharon**

Georgiana played the piano at the funeral. Funerals. Both of them. Even though the second one was outside.

Sharon had forgotten that Georgiana had such a talent for the instrument, despite the fact that she had been named Georgiana after Georgiana Darcy, a talented pianist in _Pride and Prejudice_. That, and in the life Georgiana couldn't remember there had been a boy named George who had been important in her life. That boy had died.

There was always another funeral. Sharon wished there wasn't, but there was. She wished she didn't always end up having to make important speeches at them, too, but she did. The world was not always just, but it had been a little more just when he had been in it. That was what she said in her speech, and she believed it. That was the trick to good speeches at sad funerals: make sure to put in a piece of their legacy that you believed in.

Her speech had been at the first funeral. The one where Sharon had felt like half of the world had attended and the other half had watched on the news. She was very thankful that she didn't have to make a speech at this second funeral, the one only for those who had really known him. The second funeral was just for the team. It was easy to make speeches at large funerals; it was very difficult to make speeches at small ones.

Instead Sam made the speech, and it was a good one. At least, Sharon imagined it had been good, she had been too busy crying to know for herself.

The moment Sam had stepped behind the podium, before he had even said a word, the tears had suddenly started to pour. Sharon had fled as calmly as possible to the nearest building, which was a museum, and hid in the bathroom.

That's where Georgiana found her. Huddled on the bathroom floor in a stall that didn't even have a toilet seat.

Georgiana sat down beside her and passed a piece of toilet paper. Sharon blew her nose.

"Shouldn't you be with Bucky?" Sharon asked, folding and refolding the toilet paper in her hand.

"Do you want me to leave?" Georgiana asked. She looked calm and strong in a way suggested that she had been forced into the role of being the rock or the support. Georgiana had, after all, known Steve for a shorter time than anyone else on the team.

"No," said Sharon, surprising herself.

"Good, because if I see one more American flag today I might throw up," said Georgiana.

A bark of laughter somehow pushed its way passed Sharon lips, and then she stopped it and blew her nose into the toilet paper again. Georgiana handed her a fresh wad.

Both funerals for Steve Rogers had been so covered in American fags it was as if someone had forgotten that he was a person and not a symbol.

Hell, what did Sharon know, maybe he had been a symbol. Maybe he was. Maybe all people were just symbols and all symbols were just people.

"You don't even like me," said Sharon.

Georgiana blinked. She looked so young. Georgiana had been on the Avenger's team for about five months, and she still looked healthy and well. She didn't look tired, like Sharon had though she would, and her white hair was still as shiny as ever. Georgiana was still the tiniest thing Sharon had ever seen.

"Yeah, well, Bucky sent me, actually," said Georgiana. "To check on you, I mean."

Sharon smiled, although tears still streamed down her face. Georgiana would always be honest. There wasn't a manipulative bone in her body. Sharon had never understood Georgiana, they had never really been more than simple teammates, but Sharon had to respect the fact that Georgiana was honest and did what she believed in and didn't try to manipulate people.

It reminded her of Steve.

"I think it was Bucky's way of telling me that I needed to stop hovering around him like he is a boom that is about to go off," said Georgiana. "He keeps having me check on everyone so that I don't ask him how he is doing."

"How is he doing?"

Georgiana shrugged, and leaned on the bathroom stall, studying the ceiling. "He isn't so bad, really. I think he got the worst of it right when it happened. He was with Steve when . . . well . . ."

When Steve died.

Most of the team had been there. Almost everyone except for Georgiana. Georgiana had not been allowed to be on any mission involving Thanos. Bucky had made sure of that.

"Is it just me or do you find the irony in Steve being buried right by a museum?" Georgiana asked.

Sharon barked out a laugh again. Leave it to Georgiana to somehow find a way to make her laugh right now.

Gently, Georgiana placed a hand on Sharon's arm. There was so much pain in Sharon's chest and head from the stress of speaking at the first funeral and then balling at the second, that Sharon thought for a moment that Georgiana's touch would heal her and make her feel better. It didn't. Apparently emotions couldn't be healed.

"Do you want to go back outside?" Georgiana asked.

Outside to where there was an American flag over Steve's casket and everyone was sharing stories and waiting to see who would be the next person to cry.

"Can I have another minute?" Sharon asked. She felt stupid as she said it, like a confused child who wanted choices but also wanted to be told what to do.

Georgiana nodded. "Take all the time that you need."


	6. Vanessa

**Vanessa**

"Isn't that the girl who healed you?"

When she heard no response, she turned towards him, but he had wandered further down the aisle.

"Wade," Vanessa half whispered. He didn't seem to hear her. "Wade Wilson."

He looked up, giving her his best "what's the deal" look. Vanessa jerked her head in the direction of the couple on the other end of the aisle as she walked to Wade's side. Vanessa placed a few cans of soup in the shopping basket Wade carried with one hand.

"That girl, isn't that the girl who healed you?" Vanessa asked, keeping her voice low and glancing in the direction of the couple as naturally as possible. "The girl you broke out of that warehouse almost two years ago."

Wade's eyebrows drew together as he looked over Vanessa's head and down the aisle.

"Naw, that's not her" he said. He placed a can of green beans into the blue cart. "That girl had white hair. She's the one we see on the news sometimes, remember. They call her Reviver and she hangs out with the Avengers."

The couple was slowly making their way towards them. The woman Vanessa was studying so closely was petite, round faced, and had freckles that ran from one cheek to the other. She was also very pregnant. Pregnant in the way that made Vanessa uncomfortable, for surely that woman could burst at any moment. But Wade was right, the woman who had healed him had the whitest hair Vanessa had ever seen, and this woman had light, feather brown hair.

The woman was laughing quietly up at the man beside her, and she had one arm around his back and her other hand gently on his chest as they walked. The man had one arm around her shoulders, and it looked like he was pulling the woman closer into his side as they walked. He was laughing to. It was like their sense of gravity came from each other, instead of the earth.

Actually, he was very handsome. He looked broad and strong, and although he was wearing what looked like some a pair of thin black gloves, his clothes looked comfy and soft. He had a cap on his head, but even with it hiding his face Vanessa could tell that he was good looking. He had a nice jaw, soft looking longish brown hair, and a little bit of scruff on his face. It also helped that he looked extremely attractive happy.

"Hey, you love me, remember?" Wade said. He had obviously seen her staring at the stranger.

"It isn't a crime to look." She shrugged, and made a point check out the man again in front of Wade, just to prove that she could. She could almost hear him roll his eyes.

As if sensing that someone was staring at them, the woman looked up. Yep. That was the same girl. Her hair turned brown and she was pregnant, but Vanessa would always remember the warm eyes of the woman who had healed her Wade.

Their eyes met, and the woman stopped in her tracks, which tripped the man who had his arm around her shoulders. Vanessa found it hard not to giggle.

"Vanessa," the woman said. She broke out into a smile. The man beside her suddenly became tense. Man, he was attractive even with a stick up his ass.

Vanessa smiled hesitantly back. "Hello."

Wade seemed to finally believe Vanessa that this really was the same girl. The girl who had changed their lives had just shown up in their favorite grocery store. What were the odds? Wade yelled out an excited "Hey!" and moved as if to hug the woman. The man beside her quickly flicked an arm out and pushed Wade back.

"Whoa." Wade held up is hands, but Vanessa could tell that he was moments away from getting into another fight.

"It's alright, Bucky," said the girl. "This is Wade and Vanessa. I've told you about them."

The man, Bucky, relaxed slightly. The woman sidestepped around him to give Wade an awkward side hug. It was awkward partly because her enormous pregnant belly got in the way, and partly because Bucky didn't seem to completely let go of having his arm around her shoulder.

The woman shot Bucky an annoyed look at his obvious protective behavior, but he ignored her.

"You've changed," said Vanessa, smiling. The woman laughed.

"Yeah, I guess I have." She nervously tucked her brown hair behind her ears.

"Did you ever get those memories back?" Wade asked.

Bucky looked over his shoulder as Wade spoke, as if checking to make sure no one else was around to overhear them.

"Oh. No." The woman glanced over at the man named Bucky. Vanessa frowned, wondering what they were communicating to each other silently.

"So, the Reviver, huh?" Wade whispered, rubbing his hands together and looking like a small boy on Christmas. Bucky looked around nervously again, despite the fact that there was no one else in the aisle.

The woman laughed nervously. "Georgiana. You can call me Georgiana."

For a reason Vanessa couldn't remember, she thought she had known that.

"How are you guys?" Georgiana asked.

Vanessa wrapped both of her arms around Wade. "We're happy," she said. There was a silent _because of you_ that hung in the air.

"When are you going to pop?" Vanessa asked. She had the sudden need to change the heavy subject.

Georgiana's hand went to her belly and she smiled up at Bucky. It surprised Vanessa when Bucky's defensive stance disappeared for a moment and he actually grinned.

"About a month," Bucky said.

A month could change a lot, Vanessa knew. Even without a baby coming into someone's life. But hey, just because babies weren't her specialty didn't mean other people didn't crave them. For some people, babies only brought smiles.

And this couple in front of her deserved to be happy. Without people in aisles of random grocery stores making them tense and wary. She hoped they didn't live in the city. She hoped they lived out in the country somewhere, and that they were only visiting the area and this grocery store. They should live in a cabin with a piano and a quiet place for the baby to sleep at night. Yes, a cabin could work.


	7. Bucky

_Hello all! Thanks for the wonderful support, it always makes my day._

 _So, this chapter takes place between chapters 6 and 7 in "This Is Where We Start". Also, I'm posting these stories online because I am working on becoming a better writer. I wanted to try something a little different on this chapter, because I think Bucky would be really complicated. So feel free to let me know what you think of this style or what I could work on!_

 **Bucky**

Almost similar stories.

That was how Natasha had said it. They had almost similar stories. But what did Natasha know of his story. What did Natasha know of almost. She knew the facts, the effect his life had had on other people although she couldn't understand the effect his life had on him. And she might have even been able to feel a small amount of empathy for someone else somewhere deep, deep inside of her stony exterior. But what right did she have to say that he and this small, strange, white haired little girl have anything in common.

The girl healed people.

He destroyed them. Even the ones he didn't kill.

There was nothing similar. He had lost his memories, sure. But he had also gained them all back. She hadn't, and she wouldn't. She got a new slate. A chance to start over. He got nightmares and guilt and pain in his chest every time he saw someone he knew because if he knew them, if they knew him, then he had hurt them somehow. Couldn't anyone see that? Couldn't Steve? Was it that hard to be able to understand why he preferred strangers? He was a monster, not a small innocent girl who had no problems holding onto metal hands.

Natasha had no right to compare him to her.

Then again, the white haired girl wasn't what she seemed. She had healed his messed up mind, or, at least, the messed up part that usually caused him to have no choice in his awful actions. She had taken a shot for him. A bullet. She had grabbed a man and pressed him into electric bars and burned herself in the process of trying to kill someone else. She had burnt her own arms and hadn't complained about them once. She had fried a person and hadn't even blinked. Then she had asked him to drag around the corpse so that they could use the corpse's fingerprints. She had set the Hulk loose. Even worse, she had set him loose and trusted him.

Natasha hadn't seen what Georgiana became when she became desperate, but maybe Natasha had gotten just enough of a glimpse to guess. Maybe Natasha was right. Maybe he and the white haired girl where almost.

They both knew what it was like to be pressed up against a wall. No one else knew what that felt like. Natasha and Clint, they could understand, but they could also disappear when they wanted to. Wanda and Vision, they were too powerful to be kept from doing what they wanted. Tony and Steve, they always did what they thought was for the best, they had somehow achieved that privilege in life. Bruce may not like turning into the Hulk, but the Hulk would be able to eventually get him out of something he didn't want to be a part of. Only he and the white haired girl knew the caged feeling.

He and her were almost. After all.

She had broken down in the underground tunnel earlier today. After she had reached for his metal hand. After she had intertwined their fingers as if it were natural. As if it was a comfort. She had called herself a monster. As if she saw herself as a monster instead of him and the metal hand she held.

He had expected to feel pain at that, when she called herself that. He hadn't. It had made him feel better, actually. Because he had looked down at her as she called herself a monster and had just known that she wasn't one. And if he could know this about her, then maybe he could try to believe it when Steve said it to him. It was like she was healing him without even having to use her powers. She was a strange almost.

Now she was sitting on a wooden swing with bare feet in the middle of the night, and he was sitting with his back leaning on the trunk of a tree, waiting for her to fall asleep. It had been a long day, she should have fallen asleep hours ago, when everyone else had. Instead, she was still staring up at the stars and glancing over at him. He wondered what she saw in her glances. Could she feel that they were almost?

He fell asleep before she did. He woke up to find that she had pulled a blanket over him and had put a pillow behind his head, as if to protect his hair from the bark of the tree. She had also wrapped a blanket around herself and was resting her head on a pillow that she had shoved into the side of his leg. He knew what she was doing. If he moved, she thought the pillow would move and then she would wake up. But she was too deep asleep for that to work, even if she had planned for it to.

Why in the world was she half snuggled into his side? He felt odd. Almost like a seasick feeling. Gently, because he was still confused if she was fragile or tough, or maybe both, he lifted her from the ground and quietly carried her back to her room. She had reached for his metal hand earlier today, but he felt pain at the idea of touching her with it. He made sure that there was a blanket between that arm and her. He put her under the quilt in her bedroom. He left her so she could sleep in peace.

He should leave in the morning. Things would be better for everyone if he did. Trouble always followed him, as it does to every monster. Even monsters who were healed and could no longer be told what to do without being given a choice.

He almost left right then, just to make sure he really did. Almost.

He couldn't completely get himself to do it. Surely it wouldn't hurt or change anything if he stayed one more day.


	8. Clint

**Clint**

Georgiana was sick.

Clint had never seen her sick before, he had never considered that it could even happen. Georgiana healed from everything. That was her job, it was a part of who she was. So when Bucky and Georgiana came over to Clint's farmhouse, and Georgiana coughed into her elbow at the dinner table, Clint's eyes caught Laura's immediately, and he knew that Laura was thinking the same thing. Something must be very wrong if Georgiana was sick.

He started to study her more carefully as dinner went on. She was acting like her normal self: teasing Bucky, making funny faces to Nathaniel, listening to Lila's stories about unicorns and fairies. It wasn't until Laura told Cooper and Lila to get ready for bed, and Lila tugged on Georgiana's hair to ask Georgiana to read her a bedtime story that Clint noticed that there were large sections of Georgiana's white hair that were brown.

Laura disappeared to put little Nathaniel to sleep, and Georgiana went upstairs to read to Cooper and Lila, so Clint cornered Bucky while they washed the dishes.

"So what is it?" Clint asked. He knew he didn't have to explain what he was referring to.

Bucky sighed and looked down at the dish he was drying in his hand. "We don't know. We think the pregnancy is messing up her ability to heal."

Clint frowned. Georgiana was only a few months pregnancy. She was barely showing. Bucky and Georgiana hadn't even told everyone yet that they were pregnant, except for those who had thrown a fit when Georgiana hadn't renewed her contract with the Accords.

"The only person who would know for sure what is going on would be Thor, or someone else who actually knows things about Shaymin. But, but no one can seem to contact him." Bucky's voice was quiet and soft and slightly broken. It was hard to keep in contact with someone who lived on a different planet. Clint put a hand on Bucky's shoulder and tried to give a comforting squeeze, but it happened to be his metal shoulder, so it didn't work. Clint pulled his hand away.

"Georgiana is worried that the baby is unhealthy," Bucky said, still looking down at the dish in his hand. "That her body is trying so hard to keep the baby alive that it is neglecting to keep her healthy, too."

"Have you guys seen a doctor?"

Bucky's lips twitched in the way that Clint had heard Lila describe as a smile-frown. When he had asked his daughter what a smile-frown was, Lila had shrugged and said "It's when you are sad but want to seem okay, so you try to smile but end up frowning." Lila had then lifted up the teddy bear she was playing with and had waited for Clint to fix the bandana around the bear's neck before she had added "you know, it's like when people laugh when they get hurt."

Bucky put the plate he was holding in his hand down so carefully that Clint knew he was having to use all his concentration not to break it. Upstairs, Clint could hear Lila and Cooper giggling.

"I've lost count of the number of doctors we've seen." Bucky leaned on the kitchen counter and pinched the bridge of his nose, his eyes were squeezed shut and he shook his head slightly. "Tony keeps setting the appointments up for us. He has found us some of the best doctors in the world but – but they just don't know anything."

Clint knew he had a habit of taking in strays, as Laura called it. His just followed his gut, and his gut often reminded him that not everyone was as lucky as he was, and that they should be. It was this habit that made him close to Natasha, and Wanda, and Georgiana. And in the warm light of his kitchen farmhouse, with the crickets outside and the soft giggles of his children upstairs, Clint knew that he had just added Bucky onto that list. Steve was gone, and Steve had been a strong shoulder to lean on, a shoulder that Bucky no longer had. Clint could imagine that Bucky felt as if Georgiana was now the only thing that he had.

"She's a strong girl," Clint said. "She'll get through it. They both will."

Bucky took a shaky breath. Clint had never seen him so tried and open.

"You can stay here, if you want," Clint offered. "Laura and the kids would love having Georgiana and you around. You can use Natasha's guestroom."

"We wouldn't want to be an inconvenience."

Clint shook his head. "You wouldn't be. We never get visitors, except Nat. Having you guys around would be a welcome change."

It would be nice to have some members from the team over for more than just dinner. Clint, like Georgiana, had not renewed his contract with the Accords. He rarely saw anyone from the team besides Nat anymore.

"Maybe - maybe we could stay for a day or two." Bucky couldn't seem to get himself to meet Clint's eye.

Upstairs, the sound of laughter was growing louder and louder as multiple feet started to scamper. So much for getting the kids to bed. Clint chuckled at the sound.

"Want to go see what they are doing to cause so much ruckus?" Clint asked, feeling the impulse to make Bucky feel better and hoping that catching Georgiana and Laura chasing his two older children might help.

"Maybe in a minute." Bucky's voice was thick.

Clint nodded, and returned to washing the last of the dishes. "Take all the time that you need."


	9. Natasha

**Natasha**

"You look good," Natasha said. She scanned up and down him again. Bucky turned slightly red.

"Stop," he said.

"Seriously," Natasha said. "It fits you well."

Bucky looked down, then bashfully back up. "Yeah?"

"Yeah."

It was one of Steve's old suits, the suit which was mostly navy blue, but had the red and white strips around the torso. It had been slightly altered to fit Bucky.

Natasha glanced down at her watch. It was past eleven at night, Georgiana should have been home by now. Her mission with Sam should have ended around four in the afternoon, and her flight home should have brought her in about an hour ago. Natasha was surprised Bucky wasn't pacing around the living room of the cabin. She was actually glad that she had come tonight and distracted Bucky from the fact that his fiancée was missing by throwing the old – or now new – Captain America suit at his face and ordering him to try it on.

"I still think it should be Sharon, or Sam," said Bucky. His voice sounded far away, as if he wasn't sure if he had actually wanted Natasha to hear him. He was using a tall window in the living room as a mirror. It gave a blurry, unclear image in the moonlight, and was half washed away from the warm yellow light of the lamp that was on the opposite side of the room. Did he always see himself that way? Clearest in the dark and half washed out by warm light? Blurry and half transparent?

Natasha shrugged, slouching comfortably into the large armchair in the corner by the lamp.

"I agree with it," she said. "I think you'll make an excellent Captain America."

Doubt was written on Bucky's window reflection.

"Steve thought so." Natasha added, and Bucky glanced away from his distorted reflection towards her. "Otherwise he wouldn't have left the shield for you."

Bucky frowned and turned in the room so that he was no longer facing the long window. The suit had been changed so that the left arm of the suit was no longer there, in order to show Bucky's metal arm. When the suit had been altered, no one had wanted a piece of his metal arm to snag and rip the fabric.

It had only been a month since Steve's funeral, but already there was a push for the symbol of Captain America to continue. It made Natasha slightly sick. So many people would remember Steve as Captain America, instead of as Steve.

"Wait, what time is it?" said Bucky.

Oh, no.

"Um," Natasha said, but it was too late, Bucky was already pacing towards the front door.

"Georgy should have been home an hour ago," he said.

"I'm sure she's fine."

"She isn't fine, she is missing." Bucky was starting to panic. "She would have checked in with me if she was on her way. She would have –"

As if she appeared just to save Natasha, Georgiana's very white head of hair, which was currently reflecting the moonlight, could suddenly be seen heading towards the front porch from the windows. Bucky opened the door for her, and Georgiana gracefully and without any stress in the world gave him a hug and a kissed on the chin before turning to greet Natasha.

Sam followed Georgiana inside, and Bucky closed and locked the door behind him.

"Sorry we are a little late," said Georgiana cheerfully. "We just lost track of time. And it's late, so I told Sam he could crash here. I didn't know you'd be here Nat."

"That fine," said Sam. "I'll take the hideaway bed. No complaints here."

"Alright, just let me get some clean sheets for you from the . . ." Georgiana trailed off on her way towards the closet. She seemed to have finally noticed the Captain America suit. "Bucky, you look good."

He looked bashful again. "Yeah?"

Georgiana gave him another hug and reached up on her toes to kiss his cheek.

"Yeah," she said confidently.

Bucky suddenly looked less blurry and transparent. Instead, he looked solid and clear. And as he hugged Georgiana to his side and kissed the top of her head, Natasha thought he looked protective, too.

Actually, he looked like how a Captain America should look. Strong and tough and big hearted.

"Alright you two," said Sam, flopping down onto the couch. "Stop being cute, you're making me sick."

Giggling to herself, Georgiana once again headed towards the closet and started to pull out sheets for the hideaway bed.

Natasha hadn't liked Georgiana the first time she met her. The first time she had seen Georgiana, the white haired girl had been shadowing Bucky into a room full of cages with blood all over her body, her arms had been burnt up to her elbows, and she had looked exhausted and weak. She had been quiet and shy and Natasha had misjudged her and thought she was a pushover. She hadn't learned until later that Georgiana had looked so terrible because she had been shot, and had tried to kill someone by frying them on the electric bars of the cage she had been stuffed in. Georgiana had quickly changed Natasha's opinion of her.

On the night when Natasha had held Clint's limb hand as he was placed on the kitchen table in the cabin, it had been Georgiana who had pushed pasted Steve and healed Clint, and afterwards had demanded to be trained. Natasha had been more than happy to rise to the challenge, and Georgiana was a quick learner. Since she had healed Clint, Natasha had a soft spot for Georgiana, and it had always been apparent that Bucky had one, too.

"Nat, the green bedroom is ready for you whenever you get tired," said Georgiana, before she said goodnight and disappeared into her bedroom. Bucky helped Sam unfold the hideaway bed before he also, disappeared for the night.

"So they finished the suit," said Sam, as he settled into the hideaway bed.

"Yep," said Natasha. "He still seems unsure about being the new Captain America symbol."

"Well, at least he isn't going to sign the Accords," said Sam. "Steve never did, I'm glad Bucky won't either."

Yes, the Captain America symbol was moving on to the right person. Natasha had never doubted that Steve had always known exactly what he was doing.


	10. Tony 2

**Tony**

It had been Rhodey who had brought Georgiana's suddenly changing hair to Tony's attention.

"Psh," Tony had said, "You saw a single hair, she's just found out she was pregnant, I'm sure it's just a side-effect."

Pepper had been quick to agree. "Yeah, loads of woman go through hair color changes once they get knocked up."

Rhodey shook his head in a serious manner that seemed out of place in the cheerful and sunny sitting area in Stark Tower.

"Thor said her white hair was a side-effect of her healing abilities," Rhodey had said. "I don't think it's safe to keep her on missions if she might be losing her, you know, powers."

"Rhodes, relax, our mission with her today was her last one," said Tony, "She isn't going to renew her contract with the Accords."

Pepper's expression was slowly changing so that she, too, looked serious. It was as if Rhodey was carrying some kind of "I'm serious" sickness that was airborne.

"If Georgiana does, for whatever reason, lose her powers while she is pregnant, does that mean she gets all the sicknesses that she has healed back?" Pepper glanced between Tony and Rhodey.

That's when Tony had also started to take the white hair turning brown issue seriously. His eyes trailed back to Rhodey. Georgiana had healed Rhodes; would she now be the one who couldn't walk? Not to mention the other hundreds of people she had healed, and those were only the ones she could remember. According to Bruce, Georgiana had been healing people long before she had lost her memories and wound up in the lives of the Avengers.

It only took four months for Georgiana's hair to turn completely brown after Rhodey had brought it to Tony's attention. During that time, Tony had made a point of dragging her and every doctor over to Stark Tower. But no one had been able to find anything. Most doctors just said it was a side-effect of being pregnant. What did they know about weird healing abilities? Some doctors said that maybe the baby was sick, and that her body was using all of her healing abilities on the baby. Of course, this theory couldn't be tested because said healing abilities made the unborn baby appear as healthy as possible.

And then Georgiana became sick. She had started coughing off and on in the months before, but it wasn't until she was only two months away from the due date that it seemed to really hit hard.

"Why don't the two of you stay at Stark Tower," Tony suggested in a low voice to Bucky, as Georgiana started coughing her lungs out on the other side of the room. "I know you have been staying with Clint, but there aren't any hospitals near his farmhouse."

Bucky stared at him. It was no secret that Tony and Bucky weren't the best of friends. Even after Bucky had broken down in front of Tony and apologized for everything, and even after Steve had died and asked Tony to look out for Bucky, Tony still found it hard to acknowledge the metal armed man.

But Georgiana wasn't looking good.

Bucky nodded, looking uncertain. "Okay."

Tony clapped a hand on his back. "Okay."

He suddenly felt like throwing himself off a building.

Georgiana got worse as she got closer to her due date. Tony found Bucky one night after Georgiana had disappeared to bed on the roof of the tower pulling at his hair. Tony huffed and sat down beside him. The view from the top of the tower had always been one of his favorites. The city lit up the dark sky, as if it was the city that was made of stars, and the sky was blinded by it. The city was busy below, like little moving balls of light, but up here it appeared silent. It was silent for some time.

"I have no idea what I'm doing." Bucky took a deep breath and stared upward at the blank, washed out black sky. Tony thought it was odd, to focus on the blank sky when the city below was shinny in the night. "Everything I touch I ruin."

That actually made Tony laugh. "I know that feeling."

Tony was used to feeling as if he had ruined things, just look at Ultron. Sometimes it seemed as if all his good intentions turned to haunt him. Somedays it even seemed as if the Iron Man suit caused as much trouble as it stopped, even now that he had passed on the Iron Man role on to someone else.

"I couldn't save Steve. I am failing as Captain America." Bucky shook his head at himself. "And Georgiana – Georgiana is sick and there isn't anything I can do."

Tony took a moment to look up at the blank sky to see where Bucky was looking. It was the same blank piece of sky that he had once flown a missile through. The same blank piece of sky where he had thought he had reached his end. He would almost rather be back in that sky than sitting here with James Buchanan Barnes. Which was probably why the universe had put him here.

"You are a different Captain America than Steve," said Tony. "That doesn't mean you're failing. And Georgy, Georgy will be fine."

"How do you know?"

"Has she ever not been fine?" said Tony. "Look, you were close to Steve your whole life, and Steve was the kind of person who you needed to be there to make sure he didn't get himself in over his head. But Georgiana isn't like Steve. Georgy doesn't need you to be there 'till the end of the line."

Tony suddenly wondered if this was what Georgiana felt like, when she was forced to comfort people. It was an uncomfortable feeling. Tony didn't like it.

"This isn't the end of the line," said Bucky, with a stern tone in his voice that suggested that he thought it really might be the end, and he was trying to convinced himself otherwise. "Not with her."

Well, if anyone could live off of will alone, it would be Georgiana Barton Barnes.

Tony stared up at the blank piece of sky that once tried to kill him. The universe liked playing games with Tony, so let it play around with this: if Georgiana got healthily again, he would make more of an effort to follow through with his promise to Steve to look after James Buchanan Barnes.


	11. Pepper

**Pepper**

Usually when Pepper stayed late at work, she would arrive home at Stark Tower and feel a sense of relief. Tonight was not one of those nights. She was still as irritated and angry as she had been at the office. Stupid John Madison. Who did he think he was, pushing his way into her office and then insulting the entire Stark company just because it was run by a woman?

The tower was quiet, which was odd. Tony usually stayed awake until she got home. She peeked her head into his lab, but it was empty.

"Mr. Stark has retired to bed, Ms. Potts," F.R.I.D.A.Y. informed her. Pepper checked their bedroom next, and sure enough, Tony was deeply asleep. Pepper smiled. Tony usually had a hard time sleeping alone, it was good that he seemed to be doing better about his nightmares.

Over her shoulder, Pepper could suddenly hear the faint sound of someone throwing up. Closing the bedroom door, Pepper headed down the hallway. There was a faint light coming from the bathroom on the other side of the hall.

Georgiana and Bucky had moved into Stark tower about a week ago. Georgiana was getting very sick as her pregnancy came closer to her due date, so Tony had offered them a room in Stark Tower, which would be closer to some of the best hospitals. Pepper sometimes forgot that the two of them where here because Georgiana was usually sleeping and Bucky was usually hiding. Tony and Bucky tired not to stay in the same room as each other, although they were getting better. Sometimes Georgiana would have morning sickness and would get up early enough to eat breakfast with Pepper, and Pepper enjoyed the company, but usually they were the quietest guests Stark Tower had ever hosted.

She knocked softly on the bathroom door, which was cracked open, before she opened it and looked inside. Sure enough, there was Georgiana, bent over the toilet, her brown hair thrown into a sloppy bun to keep it away from her face. Bucky, to Pepper's amusement, was also in the bathroom. He was sitting on the tiled floor next to his pregnant fiancée with his head on the wall, asleep.

"He fell asleep about a half hour ago," said Georgiana, as she flushed the toilet and then turned away from it to lie down on the cold tiled floor. "He means well, but it actually pisses me off that he can sleep right now, even if he is cute about it."

Pepper smiled. "Can I do anything?"

Georgiana looked awful. She was paler than usual. It was still odd to see her unhealthy. Even when recovering from healing other sick people she had somehow always had a healthy glow to her skin.

"Is there any Gatorade in the kitchen?"

Pepper shook her head. "I'll run out and get some."

Georgiana shook her head where it was resting on the floor. "No, really, you don't have to do that. It's late."

"Really, it's fine," said Pepper, "The store is just on the corner, and I'm still trying to walk off office stress."

"Mr. Madison again?"

Pepper nodded. "You need anything else while I am out?"

"I don't think so," said Georgiana. "Thank you so much. You are a lifesaver. Just be careful out there."

Pepper left the bathroom and headed back down the hall, to the elevator, and down to the first floor. As she left the front door, she reached out and grabbed Tony's jacket and pulled it on. It was a chilly, windy night, and as she walked down the street Pepper stuffed her hands into the deep pockets of Tony's jacket.

Her hand touched paper. Pepper stopped, and pulled the piece of paper out of the pocket to look at it as she walked under a street light. It was folded carefully, which was odd, Tony usually liked to crumple up pieces of paper. On the outside, in neat handwriting where the words "To Tony, if I'm gone." She knew that handwriting, it belonged to Steve. She hadn't seen it since he had died, months ago. Pepper carefully unfolded the paper. It was a letter.

 _When I leave you, there is something you need to do for me: watch over Bucky._

 _I know what I am asking of you, and that it is isn't fair, but please, Tony, do it for me. I can't ask Sam or Nat or anyone else to take on this responsibility, because they would, and then they would be running and hiding for the rest of their lives. But that wouldn't happen with you. You can still watch out for him and have your own life._

 _I hope you know that I have always respected you. You can live without a war, that was something I could never do. You stand up for what you believe in, and that is why I am asking you, Tony, and no one else. You will stand up to Bucky if he does something stupid, you won't spare his feels just because of your loyalty to me. And that's what Bucky needs._

 _I'm sorry Tony, for everything. I hope you know that more than anything. What I did was wrong, I know that. I should have told you about your parents. I didn't because I was afraid. For most of my life the only person I had was Bucky, and when I found out what had happened to him, Bucky became my priority. For that I am sorry. I took for granted our friendship. I hope you know that I have only ever seen you as an equal, and a good leader._

 _I'm leaving the shield and the symbol of Captain America to Bucky. That is, of course, unless you would rather retire the shield. It is your call. It was, after all, your father's. But Bucky would make a good Captain America. He would fight for people who needed him, out of loyalty to me, and out of the guilt of everything he has done in his life._

 _As for the Avengers, I know that there was a time where you considered me the leader. That position is yours now. There is no one I trust more for that role. It has been an honor getting to know you. I know you go back and forth between being Iron Man and putting the suit down, and I trust whatever decision you make will be the right one._

 _I'm sorry I have to ask you for this. As always, I wish you well._

 _-Steve_

Carefully, Pepper folded the paper and placed it back into the pocket of the jacket. She headed into the store on the corner and bought Gatorade, and headed back to Stark Tower. Georgiana was now asleep on the floor of the bathroom, and as Pepper opened the door Bucky jumped and woke up. For a moment he looked confused as to where he was. Wordlessly, Pepper showed him the Gatorade in her hands, and he mouthed a silent "thank you."

Gently, Bucky gracefully picked up Georgiana and carried her back to the guestroom Tony had set up for them. Pepper followed behind him. After Bucky tucked Georgiana into the bed, he turned and took the Gatorade from Pepper.

"Thank you," he said again. "I meant to go get some, but I guess I fell asleep."

"No problem," said Pepper. "How is she?"

Even though Bucky looked sleepy and disheveled, it was still easy to see how worried he was.

"Not good," he said. He looked down at his feet.

Pepper put a hand on his arm. "Maybe she will be better tomorrow."

Georgiana had to be better tomorrow. As long as Georgiana was alright, Pepper could imagine that it would be much easier for Tony to look after Bucky.

Leaving Bucky, Pepper returned to her own bedroom, changed, and climbed into bed. She wrapped her around Tony's sleeping form and pressed her cheek to his back. She knew Tony better than anyone, and still, he found ways to surprise her.


	12. Peter

**Peter**

With one last glance down the crowded high school hallway to where Gwen and Mary-Jane were giggling together, Peter shrugged his backpack over his shoulders and headed towards the front door. He felt the backpack give slightly under the weight of the binders and textbooks as he headed down the hallway. Maybe if he cleaned the dishes after dinner for the next few days he could convince Aunt May to buy him a new backpack. Again. He had just lost a new one a week ago when he had ditched it in an alley to change into his Spiderman suit. He had also lost his watch. His favorite watch.

He stepped out the front door of the school, lifting his face to put on his earphones, and froze. There was a white head of hair on the sidewalk across the street. Georgiana was waiting for him. She caught his eye as she was he crossed the street and smiled.

"I'm glad I caught you," said Georgiana, beaming and getting up from the stone step she had been sitting on. "I didn't know if you would be in school or if you were out – well, you know."

If he was out being Spiderman.

Peter finally reached her and hugged her, she laughed. Despite their age difference, Georgiana was about the same size as him, and with her white as snow hair and her healing abilities giving her skin a glow, she looked young. He didn't have to worry at all about a class mate coming out of school and seeing him talking to Georgiana across the street and wondering what he was up to. In fact, from a distance Georgiana could possibility pass as a teenager, so let them look.

"Georgy! What brings you to Queens?" Peter asked, pulling away from the hug to study her face. Georgiana didn't often come down from her mountain and her cabin to visit him, especially now that she had signed the Accords and was the newest member of the Avengers.

Georgiana turned to pick a bag up from the stone step she had been waiting on. "I missed your birthday." She pulled out a small box covered in brown paper. "Don't open that it front of anyone," she added as she handed it to him.

Curious, Peter held the box up to his ear and shook it gentle. Laughing, Georgiana leaned forward and made him stop.

"Punk," she said.

"Come on," said Peter. "I need to get on this bus if I want to get home. Aunt May will freak out if I'm not home on time, and –"

"And when she freaks out, you freak out," Georgiana finished.

"Right."

Georgiana had never liked crowds, that was another reason Peter thought she preferred to live at the cabin. In crowds, she could be pushed into someone and end up healing them by accident. So as they shoved their way onto the crowded city bus, Peter made sure to find two open spaces where Georgiana could sit by a window and he could block some of the physical contact from the other people on the bus. Flash took this bus, and Peter made a point not the look at him as they sat. It was one thing for girls to see him hanging out with Georgiana, but Flash would ask questions.

"How is work going?" Georgiana asked. Work meaning, or course, his role as Spiderman.

"Same old, same old," said Peter. "It's less fun without anyone from the team."

She nodded. "You know we don't invite you to every mission because we want you to stay in school."

"How is work for you?" Peter asked. He felt like he was itching to know what the Avengers were currently up to.

Georgiana smirked. "Same old, same old."

The bus lurched to a stop, and Peter's arm shot out to steady a stranger on the bus who was standing in the aisle beside them. He looked down to see that Georgiana's hand had shot out to steady him.

"You are such a mom," Peter said.

Georgiana scrunched up her nose and pulled her hand away. "Am not. I'm too much of a mess to ever have children."

Peter had always though Georgiana would make a good parent. She reminded him slightly of Aunt May sometimes, when she wasn't being stubborn or trying to get into fights. Well, actually Aunt May was known for doing that every once in a while, too.

"Tony wanted me to tell you that he has a new idea for a suit for you," said Georgiana. In the overcrowded bus, Peter had no worries about being overheard.

"I feel like he is going to become a professional suit designer once he finishes training that shadow of his and retires," said Peter.

"And Steve told me to tell you that Brooklyn is better."

"Is not."

The bus halted once again to a stop, and Peter told Georgiana that this was where they got off before he started to push his way towards the door. Back again on the sidewalk, they started to head in the direction of Peter's apartment.

"There is one more thing," said Georgiana, and slipped a brown envelope out from her the bag she had strapped around a shoulder. "We do actually have a mission for you, if you want it. It's just recon, but we could use something with good hearing and eye sight. The details are inside, and it isn't on a school night."

Peter took the envelope and tried to stuff it in his overcrowded backpack. They continued walking until they reached the corner of street where Peter lived with Aunt May. Knowing that Aunt May would start asking questions if she saw Georgiana out of a window, Peter and Georgiana said goodbye with the promise to see each other on the mission, and then Georgiana disappeared within the crowd on the busy sidewalk in a way that Natasha and Bucky would have been proud of.

Peter waited until after he cleaned the kitchen and showed Aunt May his busting backpack before he closed the door in his bedroom and sat on his bed. Carefully, he opened the small box that Georgiana had said was for his birthday.

It was a watch.

It looked normal enough, but with a code the face opened and Peter discovered an Avenger communicator inside. Tony must have helped Georgiana make the watch personally. How she had even known that Peter had lost his watch was a mystery to him, but then again, Georgiana had always had good timing. Georgiana could say whatever she wanted, but Peter knew that she would one day make a good parent.


	13. Sam

_Thanks for all of the support!_

 **Sam**

"So now that the mission is over, have any Friday night plans?" Natasha asked.

"I was going to head over to the cabin," Sam said, shrugging off the last of his suit and double-checking that his wings were folded carefully away.

"Oh, okay." There was something in Natasha's voice that sounded almost like a smirk.

"To see Georgiana," Sam clarified.

Natasha nodded. "Yeah, sure."

The living room in his apartment suddenly felt smaller.

"I just haven't seen her for a while," Sam continued. "You know, because she got knocked up and stopped being an Avenger and . . . everything."

"Got it," said Natasha.

"I'm not going because I want to see Barnes," said Sam, and instantly wished he could take the words back because the smirk Sam had heard in Natasha's voice had finally found its way onto her face.

"I never implied that you did," Natasha said, with a very knowing glint in her eyes.

"I hate you," said Sam.

Still grinning, Natasha opened the door to his apartment and threw a cheery "I know!" before closing the door and disappearing.

Muttering to himself and wondering how he had walked right into that one, Sam put together an overnight bag and locked up his apartment.

He was still angry at himself for letting Natasha get the best of him - again - by the time he landed his small hover plane in the yard of the cabin and parked it in the barn. The truth was, he was closer to Barnes these days, even though he didn't like to admit it. He blamed Steve, and Georgiana. Steve for bringing Barnes into his life, and Georgiana for keeping him there. Everywhere he turned, Sam found himself close friends with people who were close friends with Bucky Barnes. He just didn't get it.

Sam could hear Georgiana playing the piano before he even reached the front porch. A moment before he went to knock on the door, it opened, and there was Barnes.

"Hey," Barnes said, and actually looked a little bit happy to see him. "Come on in."

Since Steve's death, Barnes had been a little easier to get along with. Likely, it was less to do with his actual personality, and more to do with the fact that he was too distracted with being the new Captain America while also taking care of a sick and pregnant Georgiana to get enough energy to drive Sam as crazy as he usually did.

Georgiana stopped playing the piano and waddled over to him to hug him, her large belly stuffed between them.

"I saved you dinner!" she said, already turning away from him and heading for the kitchen.

"Practicing being a mom, I see," said Sam, shrugging off his coat and sitting down on the opposite side of the couch as Barnes. Georgiana's giggles came from the kitchen.

"She looks healthy again," Sam whispered to Barnes.

Barnes's face grew soft.

Georgiana's pregnancy had not been easy. For reasons still unknown, being pregnant had caused Georgiana to lose the ability to heal not only other people but also herself. Her hair had turned completely brown, and she had been extremely sick until only weeks ago. So sick, that Sam had heard she and Barnes had actually stayed with both Clint's family and with Tony and Pepper, just because Georgiana always needed someone around. Now, for more reasons still unknown, in her last month before her due date Georgiana's powers seemed to be returning and she was health again. Healthy enough to move back to the cabin and play the piano and apparently work on her cooking skills. Her hair even seemed to be slowly turning white again.

Georgiana practically fell asleep at the piano as Sam eat the food she had brought him, and Barnes easily lifted her up despite the large belly and carried her into their room. He came back out a moment later.

"She is asleep more than she is awake these days," said Barnes quietly. "But I'll take that over her throwing up every half hour."

No kidding. Losing Steve was enough, no one wanted to lose Georgiana, too.

"I'm going to ask her to marry me," said Barnes.

Sam frowned. "You guys have been engaged for more than a year now, I don't think that is a surprise to anyone."

Barnes sat back down on the couch.

"No," he said. "I'm going to ask her to marry me tomorrow. Just, drive to town and go to the courthouse."

"I thought Wanda and Natasha convinced Georgiana to wait until after the baby came?" said Sam. "So she could fit into her perfect dress or something?"

"Yeah, yeah I know." Barnes looked down at his hands. "I'm just tired of not being married to the soon to be mother of my child. We can have a fancy wedding later, if she really wants." Barnes seemed to be looking more doubtful with every second. It was almost painful. "Do you think she'll say yes?"

Sam found it very sad that he no longer enjoyed watching Barnes be uncomfortable. Before Steve had died, he had loved those moments where Barnes would look completely lost. Sam had gone soft.

"I don't think she would consider saying no."

"Oh, good." Barnes breathed a sigh of relief. "And you'll be there?"

Sam blinked.

"I . . . I wouldn't miss it."


	14. T'Challa

_Hey all! Thanks for all the support in this story. The next chapter will be the last chapter, so this story is coming to an end. But before the end, one should always look at the beginning, so this chapter takes place before This Is Where We Start. Hope You enjoy!_

 **T'Challa**

There were many moments where T'Challa had to defend his reasoning for keeping the Winter Solder frozen and in his basement. At least twice a day, Nakia would bring it up, questioning him and reminding him that some countries might not see it as the most politically positive and friendly move if they ever found out. Every once in a while, Okoye would send would give him a look – the kind of look only a woman could give – and he would just know that she was inwardly questioning him. T'Challa usually laughed or smiled it off, Nakia and Okoye were loyal and stubborn, and always trying to do right by him.

But when Steve Rogers and Tony Stark showed up at his door only months after James Buchanan Barnes had been frozen and stored safely away, T'Challa found himself wondering why he had ever bothered to get involved in the first place.

"You cannot be serious," T'Challa said, staring down at Steve and Tony, who both were looking like lost and awkward children in his foyer.

"Sorry, T'Challa," said Steve. "We're serious. We need all the extra hands we can get, including Bucky. We don't know the level of the people we are about to start dealing with."

It had only taken a few minutes for Steve to inform T'Challa, Nakia, and Okoye, about a new secrete group called The Departed. It had taken even less time for Steve to explain the fact that there was a powerful girl who had been kidnapped first by the Weapons Department of the Accords and now The Departed. The fact that it had only taken a moment for Steve to pile on all of this new information, showed just how little anyone really did know about The Departed or the girl.

"It was Bucky's wish not to be woken until a cure for his condition could to be found." T'Challa felt the need to rub his temple. "A cure has not yet been discovered. If these people are so mysterious that you wish to wake your friend up, then perhaps you shouldn't. These Departed might be able to trigger the Winter Soldier."

Tony, who had been silent except for a sarcastic greeting, now took a small black box out of his pocket, punched in a code on the side, and set the box down on the floor.

"Listen," said Tony, as the box began to quiver and move. "We come in peace, we just need Barnes, and it really is in everyone's best interest if you just go wake him up. We need the extra hand, and you have to admit that it would be better for your country, and your people, if he was no longer frozen on your property."

Okoye tensed by beside T'Challa.

"Mr. King," Tony added, as an afterthought.

Okoye huffed in annoyance.

The box on the floor was now enlarging and forming into something long and shiny. It gave a last shake, and then stood still on the marble floor of the foyer. It was an arm. A metal arm. Created for Bucky, no doubt by Tony, as a sort of peace offering.

"If you are that in need of anther hand, perhaps it would be better if I came along with you, instead of Barnes." T'Challa walked over to the arm on the floor and knelt beside it. He had to admit, it was an impressive sight. "I, after all, cannot suddenly turn on my allies simply because I hear a few words."

"No," said Okoye, her voice soft but stern. "They are right; it would be best for them to wake up Barnes. Now is not really the time for the King to go disappearing with American Avengers who are acting behind the Accords."

Nakia nodded her head. "If the Weapons Branch of the Accords truly did kidnap this girl, then it would be in your best interest to not be involved with, or against, the Accords until the people know both sides of the story."

"Which, I'm assuming by the stealthy way you attempted to come here, is a story not many people know about yet," added Okoye, eying Tony and Steve in a way that made T'Challa understand why they were looking like awkward children.

Steve nodded. "So far only those who work for the Accords, and a handful of other people, know anything about this yet."

"We thought we would be able to work faster if no one knew we were working on it," said Tony.

T'Challa felt trapped, and it was not a pleasant feeling. He had stuck out his neck for these people. He had stuck out his country's neck. And for nothing. It had barely been a few months since James Barnes had been put under and frozen, and now he was being asked to wake him up again and let him back into the world – and despite Barnes's own wish not to be woken up unless his mind could be healed. These people were pathetic and tiresome, and Nakia and Okoye were right, as King he should not be in this position anymore.

Nakia and Okoye seemed to be right about everything. He would have to start listen to them more.

"Fine," said T'Challa. "We will wake up Barnes, but know that no matter what you decide, if he tells you he wants to be put back into his frozen slumber until a cure for his head had been found, I will do as he asks and you will not challenge me."

"Sounds reasonable." Steve agreed.

"Yeah," Tony said, in a way that suggested he was trying to shrug T'Challa off. "Whatever you say, goes."

Nakia and Okoye did not follow the three men down to where Bucky was being kept, and T'Challa was thankful for that. The last thing he felt like he needed at the moment was for one of the women to send him another "we told you" look.

The process for waking up Bucky was slow and boring. So slow, that when Bucky finally was awake and sitting up, he barely was given a minute to drink a glass of water before Tony was buzzing around him to attach the new metal arm, and before Steve was repeating all of the information about The Departed and the girl to Bucky. Bucky, in turn, looked very dazed and confused.

"Hold on," said Bucky, and pushed Tony away from him with his real arm, so that the metal arm dangled half attached to Bucky's body. "Hold on. You shouldn't have woken me up for this. They could use me against you. You were only supposed to wake me up if I could trust my mind."

Which is what T'Challa had said.

"Barnes," said Tony, in a genuine voice T'Challa had never heard him use before. "We need your help."

Bucky gave a long, hard look at Tony.

"Okay," Bucky said. "But this girl better be worth it."


	15. Tony 3

_And we have come to the final chapter of this story. I have enjoyed writing in this world, and thank you all for your support in this story._

 **Tony**

Over the sound of the engine, Tony barely heard the large sliding door bang open and then close again, signaling that someone had come into his lab.

"Uncle Tony?" came Rebecca's soft voice, as she tried to yell over the sound of the blow torch Tony had in his hand and the multiple machines that were currently working on Tony's newest project. "Are you in here?"

Tony cut on his blow torch off and peered carefully down at the small metal pieces in his gloved hands. "Over here."

"Marco," Rebecca called.

"Polo," Tony answered, and moments later Rebecca stuck her head around a pile of half-forgotten projects and smiled at him. She had the same smile as her father.

"I think it's time you cleaned out the lab again," she said, setting her school bag down and pulling up a stool on the other side of Tony's work table. "This does not meet the fire code. It's like a maze in here."

Tony rolled his eyes and took off the safety mask he had pulled over his head. Rebecca was just like her mother when it came to other people's safety. Georgiana had raised her well.

There honestly wasn't much of Georgiana in Rebecca. Named after Bucky's sister, Rebecca looked strangely like her father. Rebecca had her father's brown hair, light blue eyes, sharp jaw, and mouth. Only Georgiana's nose and freckles had been passed down. Currently, Rebecca sat on her stool in her private school uniform and was leaning on the table in a way that Tony could imagine Bucky would lean. It wasn't just Bucky's looks Rebecca had gotten, it was her manners. Her body language was somehow similar to Bucky's, and her eyes sometimes studied people in the same way Bucky's did. Tony often blamed Rebecca for causing him to actually like her father's presence. Because Tony had loved Rebecca from the moment she had been placed in his arms as a new born fourteen years ago, and she was so much like her father that it was impossible to love her and not understand him.

"I'll tell F.R.I.D.A.Y. to throw out all the forgotten projects tomorrow when I'm not at the tower," said Tony. "Happy?"

"Yep." Rebecca smiled, and hopped cheerfully out of her seat to peer over Tony's shoulder. "What are you working on?"

With his gloved hands, Tony carefully lifted up the burning metal box in his hand. "The newest Stark invention. Right now, you see a box, right?"

Rebecca frowned. "Right."

"But, throw this box at something that is exploding, at it will open to suck up the explosion. I got the idea from watching her mother on missions." Tony lifted it up so Rebecca could have a better look. "Of course, it would only work on little explosions."

"Awesome," said Rebecca, carefully inspecting the side of the small box. "Need any help?"

"Naw," said Tony. "I thought we could work on your wings today."

"Yay!"

Tony loved these small moments in the day. Rebecca was extremely smart, and went to an advanced placement private school in the city. Only fourteen, and Rebecca was already considered to be four grades above her class. After school she would wait at the Stark Tower, usually helping Tony in the lab unless Pepper stole her away, until Georgiana or Bucky finished a mission or a meeting and picked her up to fly home to the cabin where they still lived.

Since Rebecca's birth, and the complete return of Georgiana's powers, Bucky and Georgiana had become the new leaders of the Avengers. The Reviver and Captain America were the two most talked about heroes, and had been for the last ten years.

"Mom said she called you today," said Rebecca.

"She did," Tony put the box down on the table. "Your mom and dad are both on an overnight mission, she asked if you could bunk here tonight."

"Oh." Rebecca's face fell. "Okay."

Tony carefully pulled off his hot gloves. "What, my guest room isn't fancy enough for you anymore?"

Rebecca laughed. "Please, your entire tower is too fancy."

"Shiny is always better than not shiny."

"Can I call Jensen and see if he can come work on his wings, too?" Rebecca asked.

Tony shrugged. He didn't mind Jensen. The boy didn't have Georgiana's high function brain, but he was a good kid. A year younger than Rebecca, Sam's son was Rebecca's closest friend, and they were both currently building themselves wings like the ones used on the Falcon suit. Jensen had been born with Sam's sense of flight, and Rebecca had been born with Georgiana's flawless pilot skills.

"Sure," said Tony, and Rebecca pulled out her phone. "Order pizza while you are on that thing, too."

Rebecca hummed in approval, and disappeared in the maze that was currently his lab and started talking on the phone.

Tony looked down at his hands. His hands were getting old. He was getting old. Old and content and finally happy. He had Pepper. He had Rhodes. He sometimes had Bruce. His health was back, and he had successfully passed down the title of Iron Man. He had his friendship with Georgiana and he even had his awkward friendship with Bucky. He had Rebecca to work on projects with him and challenge his mind, and Sam and Jensen to always bug him. The Stark company was finally doing things that could only ever be used to help people.

Steve would have been happy for him.

Why was it that some people figured out their life right away, and others took years? He felt as if he had been forced to come close to killing the world before he had finally figured out ways to help it.

Rebecca was not going to have that problem. She had Georgiana, and Bucky, and Clint, and Natasha, and Sam. And him. And Tony was never going to let Rebecca have to face her mistakes by herself, the way Tony had always had to face his mistakes.

Georgiana had started Tony's healing process, but Rebecca had finished it. He could not look at that girl without forgiving her father. Tony was finally, _finally_ , at peace.


End file.
